Machine for extruding ophthalmic mountings



R. A. BoswELL 1,814,819

Filed Aug. 7, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l u A Y .m /////& M

July. 14, 1931.

MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING OPHTHALMIC MOUTINGS July 14, 1931. R. A. aoswaLL 1,814,819

A MACHINE FOR EXTRUDING OPVHTHAUIIG IIOUNTINGS I Filed Aug. 7, 1925 4 Sheets-Shea?I 5` @www July 14. 1931. R. yA. aoswl-:LL 1,814,819

CHINE FOR EXTRUDING OPHTHALIIC MOUNTINGS Filed Aug. '7r 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented `July 114, 1931 i o "UNITED STA T12-s.A PATENT ol-l-lcal nmina' A. B'osWEL-L, or; WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or cor-unam MACITINE non *ExTnUDINe OPHTHALIIIG MouNTINGs Application led August 7, 1925. Serial No. 48,701.

be again subjected to the above stamping' l method. Thereare various ways for producing ophthalmic mountings, but the most recent methods consist in extruding the fibrous material through formers or dies (which areof such shape as toorm or pro- 15' duce rthe desired contour of the mounting), but these formers or dies have been found crude and impractical, it being'diiiicult to -remove they mountings froin the former afterI being produced. c

One of the forms used in one of the extruding methods comprises tongues centered within the openings ofthe formers for forming the eyes of the ophthalmic mountings, the tongues being separate from the "a formers' and secured in any suitable place on the interior of the container or compartment, which receives the mass of ksoft fiber or zyl. Such construction of formers cannot be applied to' any type of extruding machine,

process of making mountings, accomplishing it quicker, with greater ease, and without distorting or deforming the plastic mass or mountings themselves as the plastic body and mountings are being made.

@Another purpose `is`to provide a former or dile which is not only in one'piece and from w ich there is no necessity of removing the mountings or the body ,from which the mountings are' cut, but is capable of general application to any construction of extruding machine for extruding such fibrous materialfor producing ophthalmic mountings.

o due to there being no way of mounting thetongue, which makes this type of machine impractical.

Another type of former, while being in one piece, consists of tongues spaced within the tubes of the former for producing the eyes of themountings, but in this type it is diiicult to remove the mounting a er it is formed, such mounting being very apt to deformA or be distorted during the process of removal, and this disadvantage, coupled with the fact that this construction is not With these facts in viewr it is the purpose of the present invention to shorten the Still another purpose is to provide a former or die with cutting'means carried thereby, and operatively actuated by an auto-` matic mechanism for severingthe ophthalmic mountings from a fibrous body, as itv4 extrudes through the former or die, the former or die being applicable to any extrud- 7o ing machine, whose mechanism for actuating the `fiber feeding means has operating connections with the cutting means to actuate the latter.

Heretofore in machines ofv this character '.'5 the cutting or severing step is a separate anddistinct process, subsequently carried out. However, in the herein disclosed machine, the cutting or severing act is timed substantially simultaneously with the form ing and extruding ofthe fibrous material into ophthalmic mountings.

j A further purpose is the provision of an improved mechanism in relation with the extruding machine and operatively connected to the ber feeding means for actuating the latter, the construction and arrangement of said improved mechanism being such as to include means for actuating the cutting or severing device.

.A still further purpose is to embody in the mechanism, which operates the feeding element, auxiliary mechanism, constructed and arranged in conjunction with the `iirst mentioned mechanism, whereby the feeding alsv element may operate intermittently with regard to the cutting device, so that whenthe cutting device is in action, the feeding elementfceases and vice versa, the various performances of the machine being entirely au-V 100 tomatic as long as power is being applied to the first mentioned mechanism.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein Agiven are in no way limitive and that, while still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modifications of details and desired proportions majl be cumstances.

The invention comprises further featuresv and combinations of parts, to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional plan View -of the improved machine for extruding'ophthalmic mountings. i

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, of the Aextruding' machine showing the former ordie end thereof. y

'Figure 4 is. a sectional view on the' line` 4 4 vof Figure 1.

Figure' 5 is a sectional view n. the line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the former or die which is mounted on one end of the extruding machine, showing the outer faceuthereof.

- Figure 7 is a perspective view of the die l or former showing the interiorgface thereof,

where the brous material begins to be'eX- truded.

Figure 8 .is a detailed perspective view of an ophthalmic mounting.

l'Referring v,to the drawings 1 designates a base, and mounted thereon as .by means of bolts or the like 2, is a frame 3 including an integral cylinder 4 for the reception of a plastic composition such ascellulose. The hopper 5 is formed integrally with the cylinder to receive the composition, which may be fed to the extruding end'of the cylinder y means of the feed screw 6: The feed screw 6 has its axially aligned'pintles 7 and 8 mounted in bearings ofthe cylinder. The

v pintle 7 is journaled in one end of the cylinder as-at 9,*while the pintle 8 is journaled in a spider or web 10, adjacent the extruding end of the cylinder. The feed screw of this character is a well known expedient, being old in principle as disclosed in patents underdate ofSeptember 15, 1903 and May 29, 1906, respectively numbered 738,885; and

.822,101. In view of these patented disclos'ures a feed screw in extruding machines is public property, and may be used for the purpose as herein disclosed. f

Also, it is well known to be old broadly to employ a former or die at the extruding end of the cylinder, as is disclosed in the above identified patents, as well las the patent under ,date of January 22, 1907, Patent'No.

broad principle of a former or die to the eX- tent of providing .it with an opening therein, whose contour conforms to the configuration of an ophthalmic mounting.

Various means have been -used for mounting the rformer or die on the discharge end of an eXtruding cylinder, and the present invention aims to utilize the attaching means similar to thoseV disclosed in the patent under date of January 22, 1907, No. 841,852.

This securingl means for theformer or die consists of the pivoted bolts 11, mounted pivotallybetween lugs 12, carried by the former or die 13, said bolts -11 to be moved into bifurcations14 formed in lugs 15 of the cylinder, there being nuts 16. on the bolt-s to tighten the Iparts together, namely, to

hold the former or die'in close Contact with the end of the cylinder in suchwise vas to preclude the escape ofthe plasticcomy position as it is, extruded.

As previously stated, the broad-idea, ofthe former or die is old and wellxknown, and public property. However,- the 'present die or formerl 13 is substantially modified for causing lthe extrusion of ophthalmic mountlngs, As previouslyy mentioned, formers or dies having openings with contours resembling the configuration of ophthalmic mount- .ings have been devised, but as in these machines and processes the formers or dies are not in one piece to cause a continuous extrusion of the plastic composition, so that ophthalmic vmountings may be severed at a. point adjacent one face of the former or die as they are extruded. Those that have beenl previously mentioned necessitate the removal of the former or die, 1n one instance, 1n

order to remove the plastic body, wherebyv the mountings may be subsequently and separately cut. In another instance the parts of the opening for forming the 'eyes of the ophthalmic. mounting have cylindrical tongues supported concentrically therein, but entirely separate from the former or die.

Now in the present invention the die 01 former is in one piece, and the opening 17, whose contour resembles the `configuration of anv ophthalmic mounting, is capable of extruding a mounting, which may be easily and very quickly severed instantly after it is extruded. The portions (which form the eyes of the ophthalmic mounting) have cores 18 supported concentrically therein by means of the radial arms or ribs 19. l't will be noted that the ribs or arms 19 are located adjacent the end of the cylinder, so that the support the cores in such wise as to prevent any pressure of the plastic composition from distorting the cores out of their proper place.

' The machines and processes above mentioned this the die carries an`oscillatory knife 20.-

It is fulcrumed on a headed bushing 21,

' which is 4secured to thedie orvformer by means of a bolt 22. The fulcrum for the knife is to one side of the opening 17, which is formed in the die or former.) |The long arm of the knife has opposite cutting edges 23, enabling the knife to cut a mounting on its upward ysvg/in stroke as well as on its downward swinging stroke. The long arm with its doubled cutting edges operates under a guard24, which is provided with arms 25 overlying and secured at 26 to the cylindrical edge of the die or former. The guard is arcuate, conforming to the circular shapeof the die, and acting to hold the knife closely in contact with the face ofthe die or former, preventing it from moving away from the face which would cause irregular cutting of an ophthalmic mounting.

The short arm of the knife has connected thereto, as at 27, a reciprocating pitmanor link 28, by which oscillatory movements may be imparted to the knife for the purpose of cutting a mounting upon the downward' and upward strokes of the knife.

rlhe plastic composition stiffens `or seasons relatively quick, especially wherev the body of the composition .may be relatively thin, for instance, as thin as it appears to be in passing through the cylinder and being fed by the screw "6.

To prevent soning of the composition, providing with an exterior heating' coil or unit 29, which may receive current rom any suitable source, not shown, and thereby carry heat to the cylinder for keeping the composition in a workable plastic state.

As the plastic composition is extruded through the former or die, it is in cross section, of a shape resembling the contour of an ophthalmic mounting, and as the knife has a shearingl ,action` on the body of material as it extrudes through the die, there 1s a tendency for the knife to distort or. deform the mounting vas it is severed, due to the plastic condition fof the material. In order to avoid such distortion or deformity, various means may be employed to cause a substantial stiffening or seasoning of the composition. An example of such means may consist of'a chamber 430, formed in the die or former, to receive a circulating cooling excessive st'iening and seathe cylinder 1s fluid 31. This uid may pass into the chain-V ber through the pipe 32, and leave the chamber by way of a pipe 33. The temperature'- of this. cooling fluid should not be such as wouldcreate excessive stifening or seasoning 0f the composition, to prevent the extrusion of the material, but just enough to enable the composition to extrude in a substantial firm state as would permit the mounting to be easily severed without excessive distortion'or deformity.

Rising up from the base 1, are bearin s 34 and 35 and it will be noted, the end o the pintle 7 on the feed screw is' partially journaled in the bearing 35. A shaft 36 axially aligned with the pintle 7 is journaled in' the bearing 34 and partly in the bearing v35.

Spur gears 37 and 38 are .carried by the shaft 36, theformer being fixed to the shaft, the latter being Aloosely mounted on the shaft. A cam 39 is fixedly carried by the shaft' 36 and is provided with a plurality of cam projections 40. The spur gear 41 is xed to the-pintle 7 of the feed screw and meshes with a spur gear 42 on a shaft 43.

vThe shaft 43 is mounted in bearings 44 and 45, the lframe being an integral part of the base.V of the frame 3.and the cylinder, while the bearing 45 rises from the base 1. A shaft 46 is journaled in bearings 47 and 48, which rise fromA the base 1 and carries a spur gear 49, Whichmeshes with the spur gear 37, and since power may be transmitted to the Shaft 36 in any suitable manner, not sh.own,"power is in turn transmitted to the shaft 46 through the medium of the gears 37 and 49, thereby operating the sha t 46, and when the clutch members 50 and 51 respectively carried by the shafts 43 and 46, are engaged power is .transmitted to the shaft. 43 and thence to Tthe feed screw through the medium of the gears 41 and 42, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The clutch 50 issplined at 52 to` the shaft,43, while the clutch 51 is splined at 53 to the shaft 46, the adjacent faces of both clutches havin interengaging radial clutch teeth 54. rThe c utch 51 is capable of a sliding shifting movement on the shaft 46, and to accomplish such ,a movement, for the purpose the clutch anda ring 57 which is threaded on the Vclutch 51.

The spur gear 38 has clutch teeth 58 and lis held against axial movement between a shoulder 59 and a collar 60, the latter being pinned to the shaft 36 as at 61.

A clutch 62 is splined or keyed as at 63 to the shaft 36, its clutch teeth 64 adapted to interengage with the teeth 58, for the purpos of imparting movement to the lSpui' gea' 38, that is, when the clutch is shifted 1n the proper direction.

A collar is interposed between a flange on the clutch 62 and a ring 66, which is threaded on the Vclutch and additionally secured by a set-screw 67. The clutch 62 is free to rotate in the collar, when the clutch is shifted so that its teeth may engage with the teeth 58. i y

f Levers 68 and 69 are fulcrumed at 70 on the upper ends of bearings 71, which rise from the base 1. -The adjacent ends of the levers 68 and 69 have forks 72 and 73, which conform to and straddle the collar 65, the

ends of the forks being pivotally overlapped as at 74, and connected to the diametrically opposite pins 7 5,\which are carried by the collar 65.

The lever 69 has forks 76, which straddle the collar v55, with the ends of the forks pivotfally engaged with diametrically opposition pins 77, carried by the collar` 55. Obviously, when the levers 68 andl 69 oscillate the clutch 62 will move so that its teeth will engage with the teeth 58, and the teeth of the clutch 51 will disengage from4 the teethvof the clutch 50, thereby causing the power from the shaft 36 to cease its transmission to the feed screw, and in turn transmit it to the spur gear 38, which in turn transmits power to an/idle gear 78 on a shaft 79 mounted in bearings 80, and thence to the spur ear 81, which is carried by a shaft 82.v T is latter shaft is mounted in bearings 83 which rise'from the base, and one end of the shaft 82 carries a disk 84, to which the pitman or link 28 is pivotally connected as at 85a. Obviously, when power is transmitted to the shaft 82 and Vthe feed screw held at rest, the disk 84- will reciprocate the pitman or link 28 and oscillate the knife in a downward direction, causing one edge of the knife to sever an ophthalmic mounting as i-t extrudes through the die or former.

The disk cam 39 with its cam projections 40 impart intermittent oscillatory movements to a lever 85, which is pivotally mounted at 86 on a projecting arm of one of the bearings 80. This lever 85 has along arm of the shape shown with its end portion riding on the marginal edge of the` vcam 39 in the path of the cam projections 40; The lever 85 has a short arm, which in turn is pivotally connected at 87 to one end of the lever 68. The lever 85 is under tension of a spring 88, and interposed between the clutch 62 and the cam 39 is a` coil spring 89, which assists in moving the clutch 62 so that its teeth 64 may interengage with the clutch teeth 58. While the spring 89 assists in moving the clutch 62 so that its teeth may engage with the teeth 58, the cam projections 40 really actuate the lever 85-to move the clutch. The spring alsoV coopera-tes with the spring 88 to equalize the friction dn the marginal edge of the cam 39,

teeth 58, when the cam projection 40 moves from under the long arm of the lever 85.

`In the operation the plastic composition is fed through the hopper into the cylinder, and when the clutches 50 and 51 vare engaged,'as' in Figure 1, the feed screw receives motion causing the plastic composition to feed'toward the extrudng die or former. When suicient composition has extruded from the opening 17 in the die or former, that is, enough equal to an amount that may be extruded a proximately on a third revolution of the eed screw, or suiicient to form a proper thickness of1 ophthalmic mounting, onev of the cam projections 40 on the cam- 39 engages'with and actuates the lever 85, causing the clutch A62 to shift on the shaft 36, whereby the teeth 64 may mesh with the teeth 58, .and the clutch 51 disengages from the clutch 50, thereby stopping the feed screw a-nd causing power to be transmitted to. the shaft 82 `through the medium of the ears 78 and 81 and the disk 84 to oscillate t e knife in a downward direction. The caml projections 40 are of such" size as to cause suiiicient revoluble movement to the shaft 82, to lower the knife in its extreme movement for severing an ophthalmic mounting. As soon as the cam projection 40 moves from underthe lever- 85 the clutches return to the position shown in Figure 1, and thereby impart movement to the feed screw, causing more plastic composition to be extruded through the opening in the die or former, that is, enough until another cam projection rides under the lever 85. These operations successively repeat themselves and it is obvious that great numbersr of ophthalmic mountings may be easily and very quickly produced without the necessity of separate and distinct steps. Ophthalmic mountings after being produced are passed through finishing and polishing stages, during the manufacture of spectacles or eye glasses.

It is to be noted that the chamberBO for receiving the cooling Huid is around and conforms to the contour of the extruding opening 17. The fact is that this chamber 30 extends between the portions (which form the 'eyes of the ophthalmic mounting) of thel extruding opening'17, so as toproperly harden or season the bridge of the mounting.`

The temperature of the cooling fluid shall be such as not to harden the bridge too much, but just sufficient as to permit the `extruded bridge to properly andlfreelyi pass through the .bridge forming portion of the extrudmg opening, and in-such wise as extrude 1n advance of the eye forming or- Being not to retard the passage of the mounting.

that there is so little of material forming t e bridge, such material cannot be hard- 'ened or seasoned too uickly, for the reason that the bridge woul be retarded and the eye portions of the mounting would extrud'e 4 in advance of the brid e portion which would cause a distorted ody fromwhich the mounting is-to be cut, thereby causing an irregular sha ed mounting. While it is obvious that t e cores 18 can be Huid cooled, by extending the chamber through the supporting ribs 19 and into the cores, they are not so cooled for the reason that those portions (which form the eyes of the mounting) of the extruded body would harden orseason too rapidly, and hence tend to retard the eye forming portions of the extruded body, in which case the bridge forming portion of the extruded body would tions. n case the cores should be uid cooled, it would then be necessary to thicken the walls around the bridge forming-portions of the extrudingopening 17, by lessening the conformity of the chamber 30 to the bridge forming portion of said opening.

However it is necessary to maintain the cooling fluid, in either case, at a uniform constant temperature so as to insure proper and uniform hardening or seasoning of the extruded body from which the mountings may be cut.

vso

As prevlously set forth the die or former is in one piece, the fact being that all parts thereof are integral, therefore, one of the most important features of the invention, and since the die is mounted,y so that the die may be'easily detached or swung to one side, the die can be readily cleaned. To enable the die to be swung hingedly, all nuts 16 excepting one at the side may be loosened allowing the bolts 11 with the loosened nuts to be removed, and then after detaching the link 28 `from the hiife or cutter, the vdie may be swung hingedly, permitting access to the inner face of the die.'

lin making all parts of the die proper integrally solid the cores are integrally supported bythe ribs 19', and in addition the inner portions of the cores are tapered, the purpose being to increase the inner portion of the extruding Iopening 17, allowing a reater bulk` of material to enter th'e opening, than is permitted kto extrude lfrom the opening.

1n this way the (plastic composition is gradually contracte from a larger expanded size to a smaller size, thereby causin the particles ofthe composition after being divided by the ribs 19 during t .e initial passage of the composition into the extruding opening, to bind integrally together into a homogeneous mass. In this specification/it has been pointed out the necessity of ydriving means.

making the die in one piece, that is to simplify the structure for this particular character of mounting and to lmake a more practical, desirable machine to produce va particular process, which results in making a greatly -desired and definite ophthalmic mounting, and since necessity is the mother of invention, it is essential to support the cores integrally in the openings 17 by theribs 19` andto taper the cores in order to integrally bind the particles of the composition into a'sol'id homogeneous mass, whereby the knife in making itsoperations may cut the mountings without crushing ordistorting them.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed is:

l. yA machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a die having anx opening whose contour conforms to the con- E5 figuration of an ophthalmic mounting, means for expressin plastic material through the die, a kni e operating against the outer face ofthe die and movable across the opening thereof, a driving means, and means operating automatically to alternately connect the driving means with the expressing means and knife-operating means.

2. A machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a die having an opening conforming in contour to an ophthalmic mounting7 means for expressing plastic material through the die, a knife operating against the outerface of the die and movable across the opening thereof, a driving means, and means operating automatically to alternately connect the driving means and knife-operating means, including two clutches', one co-acting with the expressing means and the other with the knife-operating means, and means operated continuously by the driving means acting to alternately shift one .of the `clutches Ain, and the other out of operative engagement with the 3. A machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a dievhaving an opening conforming in contour to an ophthalmic mounting, means for expressing plastic material through the die, a knife operatlng against the outer face of the die and movable across the mounting thereof, a driving means, and means operating automatically to alternately connect the driving means and knife-operating means, including two clutches, one co-acting with the expressing means and the other with the knife-operfor an ophthalmic mounting, consisting in extruding plastic composition through a die having a suitable opening to form the blank, cooling the mass While passing through the die, projecting the material from the die mounting just sufficient to form the blank and then immediately cutting said extruding portion from the mass Within the die.

5. A machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a.die having an opening Whose contour conforms to the configuration of an ophthalmic mounting, means for expressing plastic material'through the die, a knife including means for operating the same against the outer face of the die and moving it across the opening thereof, means extendingv about and vadjacent the greater portion of the marginal edge .of the outer face of the die to retain 'the knife in close engagement with the outer face of the die, a driving means, and means operating automatically to alternately connect the driving means with the expressing means and said knife operating means. 6. A machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a die having an opening conforming in contour to an ophthalmic mounting, means for expressing plastic maf terial through the die, a knife operatively mounted on the die moving against the outer face of the die and across the opening and provided with double cutting edges to sever o`n the down and up-strokes of the knife, means for actuating the knife, a driving means, and means operating automatil cally to alternately connect the driving means with the expressing means and knife operating means.

7. A machine for forming ophthalmic mountings, comprising a die having an openlng conforming in contour to an ophthalmic mounting, means for expressing plastic material through the die, a knife operatively mounted onthe die moving against the outer face of the die and across the opening and provided With double cutting edges to sever on the down and up-strokes of the knife, means for actuating the knife, 'a driving means, means operating automatically to alternately connect the means with the expressing means and knife operating means, and a circular guard mounted on the die conformlng to the greater portion of the marginal e ge of the outer face of the die and spaced therefrom to admit of'the knifeA and retain the latter in close contact with the A outer face of the die.

,8. The herein set forth process ofvmanufacturing ophthalmic mountings, consisting in forming of plastic material an article Whose cross sectional contour conforms to' Withthe'a'rticle during the forming stelp, hence-insuring aconstant shaping of t e materialto form the article, cooling the article inwardly through its outer wall from the outer periphery of the article, and. intermittently interrupting the feedlng of'said material, and hence allowing sufficient time for the cooling ofthe article.

9. The herein set forth process 'of'manufacturing ophthalmic mountings, consisting in forming of plastic material an article Whose cross sectional contour conformslto the configuration of an ophthalmic mounting, keeping the article constantly shaped, feeding'the material in a mass and thereby maintaining a constant integral connection with the article during` the forming step,

hence insuring a constant shaping of the 'material to form the article, cooling the article inwardly through its outer Wall from the outer periphery ofthe article, and`1ntermittently interrupting the feeding of said ophthalmic mounting, allowing initial nor-.

mal extrusion yof `the composition and dividing of the composition as it enters .the opening, and subsequent progressive decreasing of the area of the composition as it leaves the opening, causing the divided parts of the composition to unite andbind together, cooling .the composition to form the blank by injecting a cooling fluid in the Wall of the opening, and thereby cool the mounting from the outer periphery thereof.

v11. The herein set forth process, con/sist'- ingof extruding a plastic com osition through an opening having the s ape of lan ophthalmic mounting to form an article of corresponding shape in cross sectional contour, dividing of the composition as `it enter's the opening, and subse' uent progressive decreasing of the alreaof1 the composition as it leaves the opening causing the particles of the walls of the mounting to bind together in a homogeneous mass, constantly forming the article and cutting the article vtransversely immediately after it is formed, thereby making ophthalmic mountmgs.

12. The herein set forth process of manufacturing ophthalmic frame blanks, con-v slsting of forming an article of plastic composition with a cross sectional contour cor responding' to an ophthalmic frame blank, automatically severing the end of the article as it is extruded, and thereby continually producin blanks for spectacle frames, and cooling tieV article a's it is being formed, where fy as it is extruded its end may be cut to orm-blanks.

In witness whereof the ture is hereunto axedz v ROBERT inventors signa- 3 A. BosWELL. 

